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Thoughts, ideas, perspectives, ruminations. If we make it through life without ruffling a few feathers, have we really lived?

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Celebrating Freedom – Day 965

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Screenshot of Ring of Fire in Gulf of Mexico – Photo: L. Weikel (video CBS)

Celebrating Freedom

Interesting holiday we Americans (technically, we citizens of the United States) are celebrating this weekend (and particularly tomorrow, July 4th). The birth of our nation; the anniversary of the day we declared our independence from Great Britain. We’re supposed to be celebrating freedom and – perhaps paradoxically – unity.

As we approach our country’s 245th birthday tomorrow, I think it’s fair to say we’re at a crossroads of greater consequence than we were at just eight months ago. Don’t get me wrong – November 3rd (but more accurately, the election of 2020, since all votes weren’t cast on a single day in November) was of enormous consequence. I shudder to think what shape our country would be in had the election not been won by President Biden. (And I base that opinion on the shape we were in and the prospective devastation we were facing had circumstances simply stayed on track with the prior four years.)

But because of the unprecedented and shameless dissemination of propaganda across pretty much every expression of traditional and social media, and the confluence of this manipulation with a toxic combination of fear, hopelessness, cynicism, and despair, we’re a country teetering on the edge of self-destruction.

Last Year

Last year’s 4th of July celebration felt drastically different than any I’d celebrated up to that point. A major reason it felt so vastly different was because my nuclear family didn’t get together with a branch of our extended family, in Connecticut, with whom we’d celebrated the 4th of July holiday for at least 30 years, possibly even more.

The reason, of course, was Covid-19. It was simply too much risk for too little gain when we loved each other enough to sacrifice one year so we’d all have plenty to spend together in the future.

Instead, as I wrote in last year’s post (“New Normal – Day 601”), Karl and I stayed close to home. Lucky for us, M and T live close by and we were able to revel in a fireworks extravaganza that rivaled almost anything I’d ever seen before. (Thanks to several of their neighbors engaging in what almost appeared to be a competition on who could shoot off the biggest and best for the longest amount of time. The by-product of this apparent rivalry was astounding.)

But that sense of a widening gap between the haves and have-nots was palpable. And sadly, in spite of Joe Biden’s victory in November, that gap is rapidly becoming a chasm that could swallow us whole.

Chasm of Fire?

Ever since the election, but especially since the insurrection of January 6th, it’s become harder and harder to bridge the chasm and find any principle or value that moves us deeply enough to find unity. And it feels bitterly ironic to me that this is what our country was founded upon: Unity to protect our diversity.

Now we can’t even unite ourselves to harness our substantial wealth of intelligence, resources, creativity, and determination to stop the imminent destruction of the planet upon which we all live. We are literally left gaping at the image of a virtual Eye of Sauron swirling in the Gulf of Mexico while we distract ourselves from it and power grid failures by vowing to plow more money into building a border wall. Goodness knows we need to keep brown skinned people out of our country while 12 story walls of condominiums crush their inhabitants because (and we all know this is true) it was going to cost too much money to make the necessary repairs.

Every day it feels like our fundamental values are growing further and further apart. I worried last year that we might not even be celebrating “Independence Day” this year. While technically we still are, would any of us have believed we’d be here, right now, with the memory of January 6th seared into our hearts and minds?

Haunting Questions

How many more of those can our 245 year old republic weather? What can we do to rekindle (or kindle in the first place) a true and sincere respect, if not love, for those with whom we share this country and this planet?

Maybe, as many find themselves resuming their old traditions of family gatherings (because Covid-19 is being taken seriously and hopefully they’ve been vaccinated) we’ll be inspired to find answers to these haunting questions and find unity in our diversity.

Storm Before the Rainbow – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-146)

An Abundance of Riches – Day 964

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Rainbow Bridge – Photo: L. Weikel

An Abundance of Riches

I chose Buffalo with Raccoon underneath today. Of course, I’m referring to my ‘pick’ of a card (and its foundation or context) on my day from the Medicine Cards* deck by Jamie Sams and David Carson. The keywords for Buffalo in the Medicine Cards are prayer and abundance. And I can attest that I engaged in a form of prayer for another Being today – and later realized an abundance of riches in quite an unexpected manner and setting.

Buffalo set the tone for the day when I found myself holding space for a dear friend’s cherished pet to make its transition. The experience gave me the opportunity to demonstrate how to energetically lessen the effort it takes to separate soul from body when the time comes. The process reverently makes it just a little easier for the soul to disengage when it is ready. It does not rush the process in any way.

A Storm Approaches – Photo: L. Weikel

Rainbow Bridge

One of the expressions used by my Teachers in Quechua is the ‘rainbow bridge’ when describing where a soul goes when it leaves its body here on Earth. The soul ‘crosses the Rainbow Bridge’ in order to get to the next realm. I’ve also been taught that we have allies that assist us in making that crossing.

Without going into a great deal of detail, suffice it to say that I have a number of specific allies who help me assist others in crossing the Rainbow Bridge. The number of them has increased over the years as I’ve been called upon to act as a psychopomp – a facilitator of the crossing from this world to the next. I’ve actually established deeply trusted relationships with a handful of allies upon whom I know I can rely in this work. Most requests for assistance come when a soul becomes lost or stuck in this realm after their body dies.

As might be expected, my mind was on the Rainbow Bridge a lot this afternoon. And as might be recalled from my recent posts, but especially what I wrote last night, I was especially eager to take a walk this evening. It was hard to contain my need to simply ‘be’ in the presence of Mother Earth and her children.

An Ally on the Bridge – Photo: L. Weikel

Astonishing Reflection

I don’t think I’d walked half a mile late this afternoon (or was it early evening?) before a most ominous storm amassed on the horizon. I decided to take my (our) chances, and Spartacus didn’t offer any objections.

It crossed my mind that perhaps I’d made a grievous mistake when thunder shook the ground underneath us and rain began cascading upon us. We managed, for the most part, to thread our way from one sparse patch of rain to another, mostly enjoying the protection of a number of trees along the way.

Of course, before we even got halfway around, the Rainbow Bridge appeared before our eyes. Yes, it had been on my mind and in my mind’s eye frequently this afternoon. But here it was, before my eyes in this reality as well.

YCMTSU – LtWD – Photo: L. Weikel

An Ally Appears

As we made our way home, we stopped now and again to capture the utter beauty unfolding before us. I managed to take a couple of photos that I didn’t fully appreciate until beginning to write this post.

For instance, the appearance of an ally precisely upon the Rainbow Bridge – without a doubt checking in to give comfort and a ‘high sign’ that a successful crossing had indeed occurred.

The close-up is even more astonishing.

My life is without a doubt filled with an abundance of riches.

*affiliate link

(T-147)

Reprieve – Day 963

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Wild White Clouds on the Horizon – Photo: L.Weikel

Reprieve

I realize the heat wave we’ve endured here on the East Coast pales in comparison to the brutality sustained by the Pacific Northwest this week. Nevertheless, it was hard to focus on anything with it so hot. I’m glad for the reprieve.

The thunderstorms that rolled through our area last night were spectacular. Brilliant, jagged lightning split the air outside our front door and thunder followed so quickly, it was clear the storm was practically sitting on top of us. And then the rain just pelted us.

What I’ve disliked most about the recent heat wave is how walking became untenable. I need to take a walk. Desperately. So does Spartacus.

Fields, Forest, and Clouds – Photo: L. Weikel

Not Happening

Quite honestly, though, as a good puppy-Mommy, there was no way I was going to take him for a walk when he was flopping down on the porch and breathing heavily after being outside for five minutes. He didn’t even need to chase a toy to justify the flop.

And I knew exactly how he felt.

I’m ashamed to say it, but over the past four days I think I’ve averaged something like 0.28 miles per day. That’s appalling. But it looks like the weather over the next several days should be conducive to getting back out there and logging some miles. In fact, unless it’s a deluge, I’m even willing to walk between the raindrops, if that’s what it takes.

While I didn’t get a chance to walk today, I did have to make a quick grocery run. As I drove along a dirt road near my home, I couldn’t take my eyes off the massive, brilliant white clouds massing on the horizon. There was just so much activity in the sky, it was mesmerizing.

I’m craving my conversations with Nature. They help me keep my priorities straight and my attitude relatively upbeat. My walks, alas, are my primary inspiration and I’m lost without them.

From Afar – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-148)

Tooth String – Day 962

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Mouth Guard – Photo: L. Weikel

Tooth String

Technically this post is not about the floss I got stuck between my molars last night. Can I tell you, though, how maddening it’s been to have my tongue relentlessly trying to dislodge this errant piece of tooth string? All day. Ugh.

Every once in a while I manage to snag with my fingers a shred of the material – and I literally mean a shred – that’s stuck between my teeth.

But the kicker is the pressure I feel between my teeth. You know – that weird achy pressure that’s hard to describe, but might best be understood by anyone who’s had braces on their teeth. I’m reminded of when my braces would get tightened and I would feel my teeth moving at a glacial pace. I feel the soreness of the floss trying to force a space between my teeth.

Weird Coincidence

In my post last night I mentioned a weird coincidence that I’d not even realized was occurring until I searched for the post I wrote about my broken tooth earlier this year. Honestly, I’d even forgot it happened in January, much less right around the insurrection.

What I realized, and find fascinating, is that I was clenching my teeth so hard at that time in January that I broke off a cracked chunk of tooth and filling in a molar. And believe it or not, there’s an astrological connection.

Don’t roll your eyes. Right now – tomorrow, in fact, at 9:08 a.m. EDT – Mars will be exactly opposite Saturn. Mars is a planet associated with aggressive action, war, forcefulness, willful pushiness, etc. Saturn is associated with structure, foundation, tradition, limitations (teeth/skeleton). Obviously, when Mars is opposing Saturn, there’s a push/pull, clash, confrontation of these two archetypes. Some might describe it as powerful aggression meeting an unmovable object.

Physical/Political

A physical manifestation of when Mars and Saturn meet in challenging aspects such as either an opposition or a square could be an impact such as when one grinds their teeth – to the unhealthy degree that a tooth (Saturn) actually cracks, breaks, or explodes from the unrelenting pressure (Mars). This could happen with either an opposition (when the planets are 180 degrees apart) or a square (when the planets are 90 apart).

A political or outer world manifestation obviously played out most recently in the January 6th insurrection. Aggressive, unrestrained movement rendered an assault on the bastion of our democracy – the body of our country.

What I find interesting, and didn’t realize until last night, was that my tooth issue in January coincided with the insurrection, and both occurred within a few days of Mars squaring Saturn.

There are other aspects happening within the next few days that are distinctly tied in with last January as well. I’ll write about them later; maybe tomorrow.

In the meantime, I’m making another mouth guard for myself. I think I’m going to need it as events unfold over the next several days. Hopefully I’ll get an appointment with the dentist, too. They were closed today, which was a bummer!

(T-149)

Floss – Day 961

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Floss – The Offending Material – Photo: L. Weikel

Floss

Tonight’s post is about frustration. Frustration and irritation and the fact that I cannot think of anything beyond the annoying situation unfolding within my own mouth. Mundane, I know. But man, when stuff happens with your teeth or sinuses – virtually anything above the neck – it’s almost by definition ‘in your face,’ and thus nearly impossible to ignore. The unlikely culprit causing my supreme discomfort this evening? Floss.

You wouldn’t think floss would cause an issue, but it has. Actually, technically, floss hasn’t caused the issue – it is the issue.

This seems to be an issue that probably originated in January, when I clenched my teeth long and hard enough to break off a piece of one of my molars. I wrote a post about it back when it happened because, again, it was ‘in my face’ and I could think of nothing else to write about in the moment.

In doing a quick search for that post so I could provide a link to it, I had a slight ‘aha’ moment. I realized there’s a connection between when I broke my tooth back in January and what I’m experiencing now.

The Issue

Oddly enough, I broke a chunk off one of my molars in January a few days after the insurrection on January 6th. As I mentioned above, it was caused by clenching my teeth. I was lucky enough to get an appointment with my dentist right away and she was able to fix it without the necessity of heroic efforts.

This actually led to a situation that I only just today (I swear) mentioned to Karl that I’m going to have to make another appointment with the dentist to address. Specifically, no matter what I put into my mouth to eat, ultimately a piece of it finds itself wedged between the tooth that was repaired and the one beside it. And sadly, it seems like the space between the two teeth is getting larger. (Why does it always feel like any gap or space in our mouth – no matter how small – feels like a veritable cavern when probed with our tongue?) A question for another time, I guess.

Until I make another appointment with the dentist, though, I deal with it by religiously ‘packing floss.’ Indeed, yet again tonight, I had to whip out the floss to remove the offending material. Of course, while I was at it, I decided to floss between the rest of the teeth in my head, since the more’s the merrier. Can’t be too fastidious.

Yeah. Right. Nope.

An Imbalance

I believe an imbalance has occurred in my mouth over the past six months since my broken molar (which actually was mostly a broken filling) was repaired. The gap on one side has grown larger while all the teeth on the other side of my mouth have squished together. The way I know this?

Floss.

Tonight, while flossing all of my pearly whites, the floss I was using got stuck between two molars. Indeed – the very same two molars where the annoying gap is located on the other side of my mouth. Now how weird is that (but not)? The two molars on the other side of my mouth are so tightly clenched together, so to speak, that the stupid floss broke off between them. Now, all I can feel is the pressure it’s causing as it sits there, wedged in where it doesn’t belong.

I’ve tried everything to remove it, from trying to coax it out with a thinner type of another floss to trying to use tweezers to pull out the offensive material. No deal. It’s in there for good.

So I guess I really do need to call the dentist tomorrow. How embarrassing and annoying. But at least maybe I’ll restore dental balance.

(T-150)

Long Sips of Water – Day 960

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Catbird – Photo: L. Weikel

Long Sips of Water

I made a point this morning of making sure the birdbath in our yard was filled with fresh, cold water. While the feeders in our yard were visited only sporadically, the ol’ watering hole attracted more attention than it usually does. I have to admit it made me smile to see so many Goldfinches and Blue Jays luxuriating in taking long sips of water.

One thing I learned today? It’s a sure thing the songbirds are thirsty when they’re at the bird bath and don’t seem to pay a whit of attention to the Red-shouldered Hawk screeching in the field beside the house. (Which also makes me wonder: do hawks stay hydrated by eating plump songbirds? Yikes.)

Beyond taking risks that they rarely dare, it’s clear to me that our feathered friends are feeling the effects of the oppressive heat and humidity. I don’t know about you, but dogs and cats make their discomfort in the heat fairly obvious. Birds generally do not.

So it was a little creepy to see some finches and woodpeckers standing on the feeder posts with their beaks open. I assumed this was the closest thing to panting birds do. But it was unsettling. I kept wondering if maybe I’d just never paid close enough attention to my birds in the summer.

Goldfinches – Photo: L. Weikel

Worrisome News

Just as I was talking out loud to my birds (and grudgingly acknowledging the presence of the gray squirrels, red squirrels, and chippies), I came across this unsettling article. It seems birds are dying in record numbers in states all around us as well as further to the south, and scientists have yet to figure out what’s happening.

Sadly, the speculation is that it may either be a disease or perhaps the use of pesticides to kill off the Brood X Cicadas. The thought of that makes me want to scream in frustration. First of all, I cannot understand why anyone would be trying to kill the cicadas. There’s so much literature readily available on the nature of the cicadas and how they benefit virtually every part of the ecosystem.

Second of all, it’s bad enough that people want to kill these red-eyed whirring wonders simply because they’re noisy, or inconvenient, or ‘scary looking.’ But to do it with poison? When people know (or would know if they stopped for even half a second to think about it or read anything on the subject) that other animals eat cicadas? Do they really forget that there’s something called a food chain in healthy ecosystems? Is it really so hard to think beyond our own very personal, very self-centered

Moving Forward

I’m writing about this today not in an effort to shame those people who either don’t care about cicadas or actively dislike them enough to aggressively try to kill them, but rather to alert us all to the need to keep an eye on our birds.

There are some suggestions at the end of the article on what to do if you find a dead bird. Working together perhaps we can be a part of the solution to the crisis.

It seems we’re screwing things up pretty well via climate change. The least we can do is help our fellow creatures out by providing clean fresh water, especially in this searing heat, and taking care not to poison them. A low bar indeed.

Blue Jays are susceptible – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-151)

A New Discovery – Day 959

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Bobolink Closeup (hence a little blurry) – Photo: L. Weikel

A New Discovery

It’s the little things in life that can make my day. And tonight, my day was made because I made a new discovery! I finally took the time to see if I could identify a particular type of bird that’s been actively seeking my attention and which I had a feeling I was misidentifying.

A couple weeks ago I took a bunch of photos of some birds I kept noticing along this one portion of my longer (four mile) walkabout. This is the stretch along which I like to drive at night (and park with my lights out) when I want to watch for meteorites, and it’s also where I spied my Fox kit, and heard coyotes in the distance. The roadway winds its way through pastures that used to field horses, although none have been there in at least a year. It’s a rich haven of diverse, natural encounters.

I’ve noticed these birds along this portion of my walk before (meaning other years). And I’ve had my eye on them a lot over the past month or so, mostly because some evenings I could swear they are actively engaging with me, yammering their melodic song to catch my attention and then flying from one fence post to the next, keeping pace with me as I walk. They seem to be our designated feathered escorts for that leg of our journey.

Red-Winged Blackbirds

Even though, deep down, I knew better, I kept trying to tell myself they were Red-winged Blackbirds. I know Red-winged Blackbirds, for heaven’s sake. I know their call. Their coloring is unmistakable.

Believe it or not, that’s where I tripped myself up. Somehow, in perusing one of my bird apps (yes, I admit to having a few), I convinced myself of a shocking misinterpretation. I told myself that the birds I was seeing were the same as the photos of Red-winged Blackbirds ‘hiding’ the red part of their wings and only showing the yellow.

But those big yellow fluffy feathers on their crowns!? They looked like they were wearing Russian Cossack hats of yellow fur. How could they be Red-winged Blackbirds? Yet I persisted in not following through and doing a little bit more research. (To be honest, I rarely use my phone for anything but taking photos on my walks. It hardly ever occurs to me to look something up on the spot. And inevitably, by the time I got home, I’d long forgotten my desire to identify my feathered friends.)

Feigning Indifference – Bobolink – Photo: L. Weikel

Bobolinks

Well, that lapse in discipline finally came to an end this evening. I remembered to track down the identity of my gregarious little field-dwelling bird friends with the puffy yellow hats and buff-streaked wings.

The interesting thing is, looking at the first several photos of Bobolinks, I’d be inclined to say, “Nope.” But then, continuing to scroll through the photos, I saw one that looked exactly like my supremely handsome friends with the massive Cossack hats.

I think I was moved to look them up tonight because I was bowled over by their incessant conversations and extended post-to-post accompaniment this evening. There were so many of them! Between the Bobolinks and the Bluebirds, I felt celebrated and welcomed back by my Best Birds. (I’ve not managed a walk along that specific leg of my walkabout in several days. It did almost seem like they’d missed me.) And yes, Bluebirds figured prominently this evening as well. At least four of them flew back and forth across my path from one field to the other, seeming to deliberately seek my attention.

It’s the little things in life. Feeling seen (and recognized!) by birds I see almost every day. And positively identifying a few of my new best friends in the avian world: Bobolinks.

Two Bobolink Guys Just Chatting – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-152)

Plausible Explanation – Day 958

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Photo: L. Weikel

Plausible Explanation

Ever have one of those days when you wake up with a headache? That’s never a good sign – particularly if there’s no ‘good’ reason to do so. Not that imbibing the night before is a good reason. But it’s at least a plausible explanation, albeit one that calls into question your choices.

The only explanation I can come up with for my headache, which sadly has persisted all day and is actually getting worse again now, is the sudden onslaught of excessive heat and humidity.

Really, though? Yeah, it’s unpleasant here in eastern PA at the moment. But it’s nothing like the hell Portland, Oregon is living through. Portland broke its heat record today by reaching 108 degrees. That’s gross no matter where you live. But in the Pacific Northwest. What!?

And tomorrow they’re looking at a predicted high of 115 degrees. We’re not talking Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, folks. This is not good.

Walked Anyway

In spite of my headache I still managed to get a walk in today. I waited longer than usual to set out; so long, in fact, that Spartacus was almost begging me to go himself.

Naturally, as soon as we set out a squall appeared on the horizon. It bore down on us remarkably quickly and I made the executive decision to stay the course.

It poured for approximately a minute. Just enough to cool us both down. We didn’t even get drenched, as we were sheltered enough by some trees to only get hit by about half the drops raining down upon us.

At least we were rewarded with a rainbow. It’s the first one I’ve seen in a couple months.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow’s supposed to be hotter here, too. Not as hot as Portland, but hot for June 27th.

If we’re paying attention, it sure seems the dominoes are starting to fall. You know, the climate change dominoes that most people in power have been paid by special interests for decades to ignore.

Pretty soon it will be too late. I hope it isn’t already.

(T-153)

Stone People – Day 957

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You See a Cascade – I See Two Stone Beings- Photo: L. Weikel

Stone People

Oh how I love my Stone People. In some ways, I think I love them even more than all the Cloud Beings. And we all know how much I love – and relish discovering – them, especially on our walks.

There’s something much more substantial about Stone People, though. Don’t roll your eyes. I mean beyond the obvious – although there is a truth to the whole granite vs. water vapor comparison.

I think what I love most about Stone People is their staying power. First of all, it often takes a substantial chunk of time to create a decent Stone Being. Granted (it took all I had not to write “Granite”), a Stone Being could be created or revealed in one fell swoop of an event. But usually they’re molded and created by sustained bombardment by the elements over vast swaths of time. That’s why they are most often considered (or should be) Elders of the planet.

What Gives Can Take Away

As I write this, I’m reminded of the Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire. The famous profile was created by erosion, with water freezing and contracting within cracks, etc., over the past 12,000 years. His presence over Franconia Notch was obvious; and it was a presence that endured for probably thousands of years. I find it somewhat offensive to note that in the Wikipedia entry I linked to, above, the ‘official’ recognition of his existence only dates back to 1805, which of course was the first written acknowledgment of him by colonizers.

Even if they didn’t have written language, I cannot imagine the indigenous people who lived in the area (and still do) for thousands of years before Europeans arrived on this continent failed to recognize the profile jutting into the air above them. It seems extraordinarily unlikely that there are no myths or stories about this Stone Being among the tribes of New England.

My point in referencing the Old Man of the Mountain, though, was actually how he was an example of how quickly Stone Beings can disappear, in spite of the length of time it usually takes for them to be created. Perhaps not with the puff of a good gust of wind (although who’s to say what ultimately is the final straw?), which is the usual destroyer of Cloud Beings, but for all their resilience, they can indeed be here one moment and gone the next. (And in truth, they can be created as instantly as well.)

Stone Eel or Stone ALIEN? – Photo: L. Weikel

Stone Beings In the Tohickon

As you might’ve guessed, I noticed some Stone Beings in the Tohickon the other day and wanted to share them with you. I can’t really call them both Stone People, as one of them reminds me more of either a massive stone eel or – perhaps more menacingly (for people of a certain age) – a Tohickon version of the alien in the movie Alien.

Both of these Stone Beings were overseeing the rush of a cascade along one side of the creek. And while the one creature does look like an eel or alien, the other without a doubt resembles an Ancient Elder.

When I saw that face, I absolutely had to acknowledge his presence. He reminds me of those carvings on Easter Island. And to be honest, he kind of looks like a more humanoid alien…

I simply love the magic that surrounds us. We’re not alone; of that I’m certain.

Stone Elder – or also a Stone Alien? – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-154)

Word Saturation – Day 956

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Wide Angle of Tohickon – Photo: L. Weikel

Word Saturation

I’ve been noticing something odd about myself lately. I tend to be pretty self-reflective by nature. And by that I mean I revel in contemplating the bigger questions in life. And I treasure those occasions when I have the time and space to explore in my journal the musings that bubble up from deep within. Lately, though? I believe I’ve developed an acute case of word saturation.

That’s the best way I can think to describe it. I’ve noticed that when provided with opportunities to sit beside a roaring fire (or sometimes better yet, a fire that’s settled into itself, its embers practically begging contemplation), or plunked in the midst of a forest cacophony of cicadas, my mind almost involuntarily slips into neutral.

It’s as if the words are just too much anymore.

What words?

All of them.

This is a little disconcerting for someone who thinks of herself at least tangentially as a writer. But this word saturation is real. And I’ll be honest: it’s a little scary. Am I just tired? Is this a result of having to come up with words every single night for the past 956 days?

Contemplation Station – Photo: L. Weikel

Looking Ahead

Maybe I’m noticing this a bit more lately because I’ve felt circumstances prodding me to give serious thought to ‘What’s next?’ You know; I ask myself the same questions I pose here in these posts, such as ‘What do I want my life to look like or to include 19 years from now?’

Or a more short-term version: ‘What do I need to release and what do I want to cultivate in my life in the next six months?’

When I contemplate these questions, some of the usual suspects pop up in what I might consider to be a reflexive response. Good grief, some of those things I’d like to manifest I’ve been talking about for twenty years. Maybe I need to let them go for good?

Maybe I do.

So if I let them go, what’s left? Well. That demands some contemplation. And – aha. That’s when the word saturation sets in.

There’s a vast Universe out there. A lot of what I’ve been thinking seems…small. Perhaps silence is better.

Looking Up From the Fire – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-155)